First year 14's plus middle school sports

[The Man In Blue]

Softball requires year round training at advanced ages if your goal is to play in college. Necessary evil it seems.

I agree with everything you said except that^. If you want to play D1 or at a high level, that may be the case. If you goal is just to stay around the game and you are willing to play at lower levels, there are community colleges, D3, and even D2 schools begging for players.

The cynic in me (and I hope I’m wrong) is that there is a business case for keeping parents and kids pumping money into weekly lessons, buying multiple uniforms, filling indoor facilities, etc. What is being sold is the “dream” that you (and you, and Little Suzy, too) can be a college softball player (for free!) if you just keep pumping enough time/money into it. The reality is that it is not necessary.

PS — sign up for another tournament, umpires have house payments too!

 

[_MIA_]

No matter what age blue you need rest and recuperation time. These aren’t pro athletes that can get a massage or ice bath after every practice session. You can’t do that when you practice everyday. All your doing is burning kids out and asking for injuries. Extend the amount of time before the games start so you can have a reasonable amount of practice time. Gee I wonder why youth sports are losing so many participants.....
I love sports but honestly there is no sport I want to play every day.
My girls both play 3 sports but are dropping down to two because the time demands are so great. No basketball this season. This sucks because all that running in B-ball gets them in good shape for other sports.

HS practice has been everyday since way before I played. Don't act like this is something new...For the amount of money you spend on bats you could get your kid a massage everyday.

 

[MadBandit22]

I agree with everything you said except that^. If you want to play D1 or at a high level, that may be the case. If you goal is just to stay around the game and you are willing to play at lower levels, there are community colleges, D3, and even D2 schools begging for players.

The cynic in me (and I hope I’m wrong) is that there is a business case for keeping parents and kids pumping money into weekly lessons, buying multiple uniforms, filling indoor facilities, etc. What is being sold is the “dream” that you (and you, and Little Suzy, too) can be a college softball player (for free!) if you just keep pumping enough time/money into it. The reality is that it is not necessary.

PS — sign up for another tournament, umpires have house payments too!

Other sports are much cheaper to play/get scholarships. Softball is expensive and demanding. And yes I agree it’s a money stream for the softball community. But you know what I like softball more than most other girls sports so I don’t really mind.

 

[MadBandit22]

HS practice has been everyday since way before I played. Don't act like this is something new...For the amount of money you spend on bats you could get your kid a massage everyday.

You like to make assumptions. You know what they say when you assume. I don’t spend much money on bats because I generally pay a fraction of MSRP.
Sports are more competitive and demanding than ever.
Again no reason to practice everyday. More important things like homework and community volunteering that should take precedence. Sports has it’s place but it’s not front & center.

 

[Cougars]

I graduated high school in early 90’s and sports practiced every day during season. I don’t remember all of the “year long” stuff that high school teams seem to do now though.

Specific to current TB team, we encourage all the girls to play other sports, some do, some don’t. We play a fall season, but have a player in HS volleyball. She’ll prob miss 80% of fall softball. Others play b-ball and will miss a lot of winter training.

 

[_MIA_]

You like to make assumptions. You know what they say when you assume. I don’t spend much money on bats because I generally pay a fraction of MSRP.
Sports are more competitive and demanding than ever.
Again no reason to practice everyday. More important things like homework and community volunteering that should take precedence. Sports has it’s place but it’s not front & center.

You have 10+ bats from what I gather (that still makes me laugh...what a joke) so even at half MSRP you probably still have > $1500 in bats in your house.

What also makes me laugh is you lecturing me on the importance of academics.

 

[MadBandit22]

You have 10+ bats from what I gather (that still makes me laugh...what a joke) so even at half MSRP you probably still have > $1500 in bats in your house.

What also makes me laugh is you lecturing me on the importance of academics.

If you consider that a lecture you have issues. Remember you chimed in to this thread. Worry more about you & yours. I’m surprised your not out practicing.

 

[_MIA_]

If you consider that a lecture you have issues. Remember you chimed in to this thread. Worry more about you & yours. I’m surprised your not out practicing.

We worked M,W and Th. She has a tournament this weekend so we didn't do anything today. Not everybody's kid is Bo Jackson like your little stud. Were you and your wife Olympic athletes by any chance??

Also everybody but the OP "chimed in" on this thread. I wasn't aware it was invite only. What are the conditions for the invite? Spend ridiculous amounts of money on equipment and be a braggart?

 

[MadBandit22]

thats great that your daughters plays for a top tier polished team.... one question though how did the players get to that level?

Honestly some players are just gifted athletes and some work very hard.
In my case I have one gifted athlete who doesn’t practice on her own nearly as much as she should and another who isn’t a gifted athlete and still doesn’t practice on her own as much as she should/needs to.
There is a certain expectation of practice that you seem to be eluding to. Up until now she has been riding her athletic ability too much and needs more quality practice time.

 

[MadBandit22]

We worked M,W and Th. She has a tournament this weekend so we didn't do anything today. Not everybody's kid is Bo Jackson like your little stud. Were you and your wife Olympic athletes by any chance??

Also everybody but the OP "chimed in" on this thread. I wasn't aware it was invite only. What are the conditions for the invite? Spend ridiculous amounts of money on equipment and be a braggart?

You are a jealous SOB. Braggart? that would be you math wiz. You don’t see me commenting about your daughter.